Many years ago before cars were so popular people who didn’t have money used to hop trains. They were known as Hobos. Being a Hobo was very dangerous. some of the train security officers were very sadistic and enjoyed beating up on hobos and throwing them off the trains. A lot of hobos set up camps along the railroads. The camps were open to all hobos and they usually shared any food with anyone that was in the camp. They also shared any information on trains and train personnel. If someone had a guitar they might share some songs too. That was the beginning of the folk music era.

Time past and it got harder and harder to hop trains and highways and freeways were being built all across the lands.so they started standing on the streets thumbing for rides. The hobo camps disappeared and the homeless

started gathering in alleys and back streets of all the big cities.

At first hitching was pretty safe. many people hitched rides in the 1950s and 1960s. then it got more and more

dangerous to hitch rides plus it got more and more dangerous to pick up hitchhikers so there were less and less rides. I don’t know how people without money are getting around now. The homeless still gather in alleys and back streets. There are people who are trying to help, many big cities have shelters where homeless can get a meal, a shower and a bed for the night. When you have a meal in those places the food is warm but not always very tasty. The showers are like gym showers and the beds are usually clean but lumpy. I know I have slept in them twice once in a fairly good one in Dallas Texas and another not very good one in Fresno Cal.

Here is my story about trying to hitch a ride from Dallas to Long Beach. I got stuck in Dallas because I could not find the friends that I had there. I had hoped my friends would put me up until I found a job. When I could not find my friends I decided the best thing was to hitchhike back to Long Beach Cal.

I started with a bus ride to the freeway on ramp near the edge of Dallas. At first I was making good time I had a